Women in the Realm of Spirituality
The exhibition 'Women in the Realm of Spirituality', in the National Gallery in Jakarta in September 1998, deals with the spiritual life and experiences of sixteen Indonesian women artists.By Ilse Chin
'Women in the realm of spirituality' was curated by Jim Supangkat and Sari Asih Joedawinata. The idea behind the exhibition was to become acquainted with the actual realm of spirituality. For each artist spirituality has its own meaning and the realm is broader than might be thought as it is not confined to a religious realm. Supangkat and Joedawinta believe that spirituality is part of the human spirit and all the things which are not material in nature.Following the fundamental premises of feminism, the scope of spirituality within feminist discourse was broadened. The spirituality which eventuated was no longer simply religious spirituality, but was inextricably linked to the ancient polytheistic beliefs in which supreme spirits are held not only to be gods who are male, but also to be goddesses who are female.
Paula Isman's piece Eva-Maria displays women's superiority in religious spirituality.
In her work, The Bride: Seven Spirits in Asia, Alce Ully shows the belief that human beings, men as well as women, are women in the eyes of God.
Three generations
The sixteen women featured in this exhibition are from three different generations: women in their 70s, 50s, and 40s. They are not women who would call themselves feminists, although some representations are somewhat radical and display dilemmas, which have a political power to criticize.
A critical attitude is reflected in the views of Ratmini Soedjatmoko. Ratmini is a well-known pioneer in many art circles in Indonesia. She even played a role in the creation of the Jakarta Arts Center. Even though she is one of the older participants, her attitude is as radical as that of the younger generation. In 1972 she formed the group of women painters called 'Grup Sembilan' (Group of Nine), including Paula Isman and Wiranti Tedjasukmana. They became an important forum for the emergence of Indonesian women artists.
Like many women artists they faced conditions that were not conducive to their artistic development. All of the participants in the exhibition are artists who exhibit their work regularly, but only a few of them have been acknowledged because the visions in their representation are not widely spread. Because of this situation, some of the women artists are better known in other fields.
Some of them get together and hold exhibitions. The solidarity between these women artists is reflected in Iriantine Karnaya's piece Yes She Is, which is dedicated to the relationship between women.
Nature
In Indonesia there is a strong belief that man must be at peace with nature and live in harmony with it. Nature is considered to exhibit equilibrium and, because of that, it is believed that it can become a place for those seeking answers in facing various dilemmas.
The works of Alce Ully and Chairin Hayati, which seem to limit women, are representations of their own identities, which still have roots in a belief in nature. In Indonesia, individual characteristics are believed to be capable of creating spiritual power in the individual. For such an individual, the basic nature of giving birth and the emotional ties between a woman and her children should be seen as a source of spiritual power in the individual women. Chairin Hayati tests this individuality by representing women's relationship with men, other women, children and animals. These relationships differ from one another and their differences lie in the degree of spirituality found within each of the relationships.
Life force
Most Indonesian traditions are connected with a belief in nature and most believe in balance. Spirituality in the traditional realm of ideas is known to function as something to hold on to and also as the spirit of life.
In her work Marida Nasution presents Spirit of Life the role of spirituality as something to hold on to in life. This piece consists of four parts, each showing a stage in the life of a traditional working woman, from youth to old age. In Marida's work this woman is a seller of jamu. She sells the traditional herbal remedies used by traditional women to maintain their health. Through the different stages of the life of a jamu seller Marida presents the life force energy of these women.
Like philosophy in Western society, spirituality in the traditional realm is connected with reflections, which are close to phenomenology. A critical attitude in looking at tradition is reflected in the views of Ratmini Soedjatmoko. 'Don't follow all of this tradition, tradition must also be seen in the context of change. All things should be balanced and fulfil one another.' In accordance wiyh this she presents her spiritual experiences through traditional spiritual symbols which appear in textiles. 'Through textile we can see the spiritual role of women in tradition. Batik and other traditional Indonesian textiles are very rich in symbols which represent the human spiritual relationship with nature.'
Not all stories regarding tradition in this exhibition end in equilibrium and serenity. The works of Astari Rasyid cast tradition and balance into a state of disorder. Her rebelliousness can be seen in Axing the Message, in which bedoyo dancers (woman performers of classical Javanese dance) melt. Through this melting, she represents what has become a worn-out tradition. However it is not only tradition, but also the problem of the fate of women in tradition that is an issue.
Political events of May 1998
Inda C.Utoyo presents the political upheaval of May 1998 in Indonesia in her work The Myth. 'This upheaval was marked by political deceptions, power struggles between groups, demonstrations, racism, and riots causing thousands of deaths. A number of women, particularly women of Chinese descent, were raped in the most cruel fashion'.
In her piece, Justice Attacked, Wiranti Tedjasukmana comments on this situation by evoking a kind of irony. She has painted the Goddess of Justice being attacked by snakes in a most expressive way. 'A woman is used as the symbol of justice, but women still have difficulties seeking justice'.
In Srikandi Accuses Ratmini Soedjatmoko represents this event in the symbols of the wayang (shadow play). She paints Rahwana, known as the cruel, sly king with ten faces, to illustrate the instigators of the violence against women in May 1998.
Astari Rasyid feels that this exhibition, which deals with woman in the realm of spirituality, needs to be mediated by thoughts which deal with men and women in the realm of femininity. 'Only with this femininity can society be saved. Maybe the 21st century will be the century of women. And perhaps femininity will save the earth from the destruction of its environment and civilization after wiping out male ideology'.
Ilse Chin is a staff member of the GATE Foundation.